Numerous protesters, including Panti Bliss and other folk from the LGBT+ community, have turned up to block Gemma O’Doherty’s demonstration outside the Google Headquarters in Dublin. Panti announced in a video on Twitter, “The gays have arrived to troll Gemma O’Doherty outside Google HQ”.
Trolling Gemma O'D like… pic.twitter.com/ZSfNGHxOZE
— Dr Panti Bliss-Cabrera (@PantiBliss) July 26, 2019
Gemma is demonstrating outside Google holding a small cross.
Izzy Kamikaze has been tweeting from the protest under the hashtag #SpeakersUnicorner.
— Dr Panti Bliss-Cabrera (@PantiBliss) July 26, 2019
In the windows of Google HQ, there are cardboard cutouts of key figures in Ireland. Panti and her cutout are out in protest.
This is the third week O’Doherty has staged a protest outside the HQ following the removal of her YouTube channel, which contained videos critiquing ethnic minorities in Ireland.
Before today’s protest, O’Doherty spoke on Facebook about the planned demonstration, saying “I’m not gloating, but a terrible injustice has been done, to us, to us all, really”.
John Waters, the controversial Irish columnist and author, has also been seen attending the demonstration.
Gemma O’Doherty initially invited people to the first demonstration, by saying “if you don’t come, I will take that as a message that there is nothing to protect, that censorship is okay, the Irish people are alright with that and that will probably be the end of it”. An average of 13 people showed up.
Since her YouTube channel has been taken down, she has gone on to use a variety of different accounts to continue spreading her message. Many of these accounts were removed.
Many of the protesters are shouting “1.8” acknowledging O’Doherty’s failed presidency. In 2018, Panti called out O’Doherty for attempting to use the LGBT+ community to help in her bid for presidency. Panti shared the email O’Doherty sent her with the following caption, “When trying to get support for her failed presidential bid [Gemma] contacted me a number of times to impress upon me her continued support for the LGBT community. It was bullshit then and it’s bullshit now.”
You can watch the Live from the counter-protest below:
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